Vehicle-gear.



l MB1/1,846.;

Y 'PATBNTBD MAR., 1s, 190.

'-VEHIGLE GEAR. Prmquxo'n. Imm '1mm 7. :1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

LESTER E. HIOKOK, OE MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

i VEHICLE-GEAR. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 13, 1906.

Application filed .Time '7, 1905. Serial No. 264,095.

' T0 all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that l, LESTER E. Hicxox, a citizen of the United States,residing atMechanicsburg, in the county of Cumberland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Gears, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the provision of a vehicle-gear whichshall be so constructed that parts thereof -may easily and 'hereinafterset forth and claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an example of the physicalembodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of the axle, axle-bed, fth-wheelplate, head-block plate, and head-block, the front clip-bolts and yokes,which unite the fifth-wheel plate to the axle and axle-bed, also .beingillustrated. Fig. 2 is a partial cross-section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atop plan-view of the fifthwheel plate andcircle. Fig. 4 shows theclipbolt. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the headblock plate and taperedarm. Referring to the several figures, the numeral 1 designates theaxle;.2, the axle-bed; 3, the fifth-wheel circle; 4, the fifth-wheel ylate; 5 lugs with lthreaded holes, said lugs being located at the frontedge and ends of the plate; 6, the rear threaded holes in the plate; 7,the cli -bolts with threaded ends,- only two of whic are shown in Fig.1, those on the opposite side of the axle and axle-bed being ofidentical construction; 8, the clipyokes 3 9, the axle-yoke providedwith a seat for the axle and with suitable holes for the passage ofbolts; 10, a hole for the passage of the kin -bolt; l11., holes in thelugs ofthe yoke for the ower ends of the clip-bolts;- -12, threadedholes in the fifth-wheel plate for the reception. of the clip-bolts,which are identical in construction with the bolts 7 in Fig. 1 at theends of the fifth-wheel plate; 13, the front hole in the axle-yoke; 14,a dovetail-shaped -seat or recess in the top surface of the fifthwheelplate; 15, the clip with a threaded bolt end; 16, the dovetail-shapedend of the clip at right angles to thelength of the clip and adapted tofit the dovetailed seat 14 in the top surface of the fth-wheel plate andinterlock; 17, the head-block; 18, the head block plate; 19, holes forthe bolts which secure the plate to the head-block, the heads of thebolts being countersunk, as shown in Fi l. 1 at the left, or screws inlieu of bolts; 20, the

eled, as shown;v 21, a hole for the king-bolt; 22, a boss which fits therecess 23 at the rear of the fth-wheel plate and which surrounds thehole therein for the king-bolt; 24, the

reach; 25, the reach liron or strap having theI jtapering arm having itsupper surface bevl end bent upwardly to fit the beveled surface of thearm 20, as shown, the end of said strapy being perforated and seated inthe headblock 26, the bolt passed through the head- .l

block plate, reach-iron, reach, and headblock; 27, a clip with a recessto receive the fth-wheel circle; 28, bolts which pass through the reach,reach strap or iron, the ends of the clip, and the end of the taperinglreach-arm 20, as shown.; 29, a brace 30, a bolt which secures the endof the brace to the bolt.

The several figures of the drawings show very clearlyv the relativelocations of the reach; 31, the brace-head, and 32 the kingparts andthat the axle, axle-bed, axle-yoke,

and fifth-wheel plate and circle can move relatively to the remainingfixed arts of the gear and about the fixed king-boil'J as a center.

From the foregoing description it becomes clear that several novel anddesirable features of construction are present in the gear. The clip 15.may easily be replaced when necessary. The cli -bolts 7 may be removedand others substituted, and the enlarged upper ends at 33 present amplebearing areas against the lower surfaces of the lugs 5 or the lowersurface of the plate to insure very rigid connections and'hold theclip-bolts in alinement. The head-block plate with the tapering armallows the end of the reach iron or strap 25 to be extended into thehead-block and form a very strong union of the parts', and there isobviated the necessity of welding the strap to the reach-arm 20, asisthe common practice.l

In applying my improvements modifica- IOO IOS

tions and 'changes may of course be introduced Without constitutingsubstantial departures.

What I claim is- 1. The combination in a vehicle-gear having afifth-Wheel plate With a recess or seat in the surface, of a clipprovided with a head Which fits the recess and forms an interlockingconnection, in substance as set forth.

2. The combination in a vehicle-gear having a fifth-Wheel plate and aseat or recess inthe top surface, of a clip provided with a head whichinterlocks With the seat in the said plate and With a bolt end Which issecured to the axle-yoke.

3. The combination in a vehicle-gear, of an aXle, aXle-bed, fifth-Wheellate with lugs having threaded holes, clip-bollts with threaded ends,and yokes; each of said clip-bolts having an enlarged upper end 33, forthe purpose specified.

4. The combination in a vehicle-gear, of a head-block; a head-blockplate provided with lan arm at right angles thereto; a reach; and 'areach-iron bolted to the reach and to the arm of the head-block plate;said reach-iron being secured to the head-block.

5. The combination in a vehicle-gear, of a head-block; a head-blockplate having an arm with a beveled surface a reach; and a reachiron; thesaid reach-iron being bent upwardly at the end, located above said arm,and secured to the head-block; in substance as set forth.

6. The combination in a vehicle-gear, of an axle; axle-bed; fifth-Wheelcle; a head-block; head-block plate; reach; reach-iron 3 axle-yoke cli sg and king-bolt 5 said king-bolt being passe throu h thereach,reach-iron, fifth-Wheel plate, an axle-yoke; the fifth-Wheel circlebeing held in place against the reach-iron by a clip; and the front endof the axle-yoke being united to the fifth-Wheel plate by a removableclip-bolt.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LESTER E. HICKOK.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. ROBINSON, ALPHEUs N. LANTZ.

plate and cir-

